Aviation News

Global up to the minute news about aviation industry for professionals as well as enthusiasts brought to you by Southwest Airmotive.

Who is in charge of business aviation’s future? You are. NBAA's Leadership Counc......Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:54:17 +0000
Who is in charge of business aviation’s future? You are. NBAA's Leadership Council significantly strengthens the Association, allowing us to further our mission and promote the growth of business aviation in the U.S. and around the world. Over 60 companies have already stepped up as leaders in our industry. Learn how your company can join them and become a Leadership Council Member today.


Leadership Council | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association
www.nbaa.org

HFI Celebrates Successful Heli-Expo 2012...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Event Saw Impressive Scholarship Funds Raised Helicopter Foundation International reports a very busy Heli-Expo 2012. The foundation held its annual golf tournament, hosted mentoring panels, and shared a great deal of information with attendees about its mission and goals. New additions this year were a silent auction, heritage helicopter display and historical interviews.

Down Comanche Located In Texas...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
CAP Joined Search For Airplane Which Disappeared From Radar A Piper Comanche which failed to arrive at its Norman, OK destination Monday night has been located in Shackelford County, TX. Neither person on board the aircraft reportedly survived the accident.

Cessna Moves Skycatcher Assembly From Wichita To Independence...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Part Of An Integration Plan With Other Single-Engine Products The final assembly for Cessna's Skycatcher LSA is being moved from Yingling Aviation in Wichita to the company's single-engine plant in Independence, KS. The move is reportedly part of a strategy on the part of Cessna to consolidate its single-engine operations in Independence in order to make them more efficient.

AD: Lycoming Engines Reciprocating Engines...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
AD NUMBER: 2012-03-07 PRODUCT: Certain Lycoming Engines Reciprocating Engines

Europe Meets Air Safety Targets...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Annual Safety Regulation Commission Report Identifies Key Areas For Improvement In its 2011 annual safety report, the Safety Regulation Commission (SRC) confirms that Europe has met its safety targets as set by ECAC for ATM-related accidents. With data for 2010 showing an increase in the number of incidents reported, which reflects an improvement in the reporting culture, a number of key safety areas to improve have been identified.

New York Media Vs. Helo Operators...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
NYT, Trade Paper Critical Of 'Wealthy' Noisemakers New York City is a tough place for the private helicopter industry to find much sympathy these days. With promised action by US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (pictured) to impose noise and route restrictions on helicopters operating over Long Island expected by Memorial Day, local media is painting the issue as a case of one-percenters trampling the rest of us.

Piper Ends 2011 with Higher Revenue, Top-End Deliveries...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Credits Meridian Turboprop Sales For Fueling The Increase Piper Aircraft reports that it ended 2011 with increased revenue from new aircraft sales of $131.2 million, up more than nine percent from $120.2 million a year ago. The increase was fueled primarily by a favorable mix of Piper's flagship single-engine Meridian turboprop deliveries in 2011. Piper delivered 32 new top-end Meridians in 2011 compared with 25 in 2010.

Trade Groups Urge Congress To Fix Fuel Tax...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Jet Fuel Taxes Being Deposited In Highway Trust Fund The presidents of eight aviation trade associations have sent a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the U.S. House of Representatives aviation and highway subcommittees on Feb. 10, urging them to repeal the "fuel fraud" provision that was introduced in the 2005 surface transportation act which adds money to the Highway Trust Fund at the expense of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF).

Over 100 Mayors Urge Obama To Reverse Course On GA...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Alliance For Aviation Across America Facilitated The Effort Mayors representing more than 100 communities in 48 states wrote to President Obama on February 14, urging him to recognize the contributions of general aviation to the U.S. economy and to drop his user fee proposal.

Looking Back At America's First Orbital Spaceflight: Friendship 7 (Part 2)...Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
God Speed John Glenn John Glenn's mission to become the first American to orbit the Earth suffered an agonizing amount of delays.

Both Pilots Survive California Mid-Air...Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Night Collision Between Bonanza, R22 Causes Minor Injuries ANN is thankful to report that a collision between a Beechcraft Bonanza and a Robinson R22 near Rio Vista Municipal Airport in California Sunday night produced an unusual result for a mid-air - no fatalities. KTXL-TV reports the R22 came down in a field on Sherman Island, while the plane made it 30 more miles, and landed at the Byron airport.

EAA’S Women Soar You Soar Will Inspire Young Women During AirVenture...Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Rewarding Experiences Await Young Women Interested In Aviation-Based Careers Young women will be inspired to reach for their aviation dreams as Women Soar You Soar, a four-day mentoring camp featuring inspirational women aviators, returns for its eighth year in conjunction with EAA AirVenture 2012.

Virginia Festival Of Flight Announces 'Parade Of Flight'...Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
New Event Responds To Attendees Requests After 14 successful years, the Virginia Aviation Council is adding what it hopes will be a crowd pleasing flying event to their popular Virginia Regional Festival of Flight. Surveys have shown that attendees want to see more aircraft in flight in addition to static displays. So this year, a Directed Parade of Flight will take place on Saturday, April 28 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm at the Suffolk Executive Airport (KSFQ).

GE Aviation Expands Its U.S. Network Of Operations...Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Three New GE Facilities Are Part Of $580 Million Investment With its global business base growing, GE Aviation is expanding its manufacturing and research & development footprints in the United States with three new facilities to open by 2013. GE Aviation's production rates are expected to grow from approximately 3,000 commercial and military engine deliveries in 2011 to 3,400 deliveries in 2012, and 3,800 deliveries in 2013.

NTSB Prelim Released In Training Incident...Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:05 +0000
Pilot Simulating Power-Off Landing Landed Short, Hit A Hidden Object Consider this a story that things aren't always what they appear to be. A flight instructor who thought it would be ... instructive ... to allow his BFR candidate to land short of the runway during a simulated power-off landing wound up with a damaged airplane, and probably ego as well. Fortunately, the airplane was the only thing damaged in this incident. Both of the pilots walked away uninjured.

The 2012 NBAA Compensation & Benchmark Survey is now open. The survey provides i......Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:56:09 +0000
The 2012 NBAA Compensation & Benchmark Survey is now open. The survey provides in-depth data on aviation department salaries and operations, including ownership structures, international trip reports, fuel saving methods and more. Every year, the survey elicits responses from hundreds of aviation departments, providing compensation data on thousands of employees. Only NBAA Member Representative at companies that operate aircraft are eligible to take the survey. Survey respondents will have free online access to the results. All submissions are kept confidential and no individual results are posted. The 2012 survey is open from now until April 2.


Compensation & Benchmark Survey | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association
www.nbaa.org
NBAA's secure, web-based survey provides a comprehensive review of aviation department personnel salaries and operational data.

NBAA announced today that Exhibitor Chalets for the 2012 Asian Business Aviation......Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:16:15 +0000
NBAA announced today that Exhibitor Chalets for the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012) have now been sold out, another sign that this year's event – to be held March 27-29, 2012 at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport – is shaping up to be the premier business aviation event and meeting venue in the region.


ABACE2012 Exhibitor Chalets Sold Out As Show's Opening Day Draws Near
www.nbaa.org

NBAA today applauded the FCC for pulling the plug on broadband communications st......Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:03:07 +0000
NBAA today applauded the FCC for pulling the plug on broadband communications startup LightSquared's plans for a nationwide wireless communications network, citing concerns over that network's interference with signals from Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

"We thank the FCC for taking this very important step," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "More than 60 percent of business aircraft operating in the U.S. are equipped with various GPS capabilities required for instrument approaches at over 5,000 airports, and even more have en-route GPS capability. NBAA Members don't oppose new technology systems like the one proposed by LightSquared, as long as they don't compromise aviation safety by interfering with the GPS systems our Members rely on for navigation and communications.

"It's also worth noting," Bolen continued, "that protecting GPS isn't just a critical issue for the business aviation community – it is also relied upon by rescue workers, farmers, military operators, consumers and other users."


NBAA Welcomes FCC's Rejection of LightSquared Network, Protecting GPS
www.nbaa.org

A five-year battle to provide long-term direction and funding for the FAA came t......Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:21:18 +0000
A five-year battle to provide long-term direction and funding for the FAA came to an end February 14, as President Barack Obama signed H.R. 658, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 into law. "NBAA is pleased the FAA will at last have the necessary, long-term authorization in place to ensure the U.S. air transportation system remains the largest, safest and most efficient in the world," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "We thank the President, and lawmakers in both the House and Senate, in working to bring this measure to a successful resolution." The bill provides $63.4 billion to fund the agency through 2015, including approximately $11 billion towards the FAA's proposed Next Generation ("NextGen") air traffic control system.


President Obama Signs FAA Reauthorization Bill into Law | NBAA - National Business Aviation Associat
www.nbaa.org

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released Standard Industry Fare L......Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:54:22 +0000
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released Standard Industry Fare Level (SIFL) rates for the six-month period from January 1 to June 30, 2012. This data is necessary when applying the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) aircraft valuation formula to compute values of non-business transportation aboard employer-provided aircraft.


http://www.nbaa.org/member/admin/taxes/personal-use/calculator/2012-1.php
data.nbaa.org

Just over two weeks remain to apply for the 2012 Flying Safety Awards. Remember,......Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:10:58 +0000
Just over two weeks remain to apply for the 2012 Flying Safety Awards. Remember, applications must be postmarked by the March 1 deadline in order to be considered.


Flying Safety Awards | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association
www.nbaa.org
NBAA Flying Safety Awards recognize Member Companies and their management, maintenance, pilot and support personnel teams for exceptional achievement in maintaining safe flying operations.

NBAA offers the Light Business Airplane Buyer’s Guide, to assist in the purchase......Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:52 +0000
NBAA offers the Light Business Airplane Buyer’s Guide, to assist in the purchase planning process. With information collected from the aircraft manufacturers, the guide includes basic specification and performance data for each airplane. Members can download the publication in PDF format for free from the NBAA web site.


NBAA Light Business Airplane Buyer's Guide
www.nbaa.org

NBAA today denounced the latest attempt from the White House to impose a per-fli......Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:18:42 +0000
NBAA today denounced the latest attempt from the White House to impose a per-flight user fee on general aviation, and said industry would need to engage Congress to stop the renewed threat. Per-flight user fees are included in President Obama's fiscal year 2013 federal spending proposal, released today. Along with the concern raised by the president’s user fee proposal, the White House budget sends a mixed message on two other key issues: funding for a Next Generation ("NextGen") air traffic system, and depreciation schedules on business aircraft.

"Proposals from the White House are serious business," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, "but they cannot become law unless they are approved by Congress. Over the past several years, the general aviation community has worked with Congress to successfully beat back a number of bad ideas proposed by the White House – we can do it again by getting everyone active and engaged with their elected officials."


NBAA Blasts Latest User Fee Push in President's Budget Proposal
www.nbaa.org

As the use of contract labor is on the rise in aviation, so is the misclassifica......Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:35:19 +0000
As the use of contract labor is on the rise in aviation, so is the misclassification of workers who should be considered employees rather than contractors. Frustratingly, there are almost as many different definitions of contract labor as there are governmental entities trying to regulate the practice. "What analysis you apply depends on where you are in the country, or what agency you’re dealing with," said employment law expert Gregory Ripple. The latest edition of the NBAA Flight Plan podcast examines insights from a recent NBAA webinar with Ripple and others on how to classify aviation workers correctly - and avoid costly penalties.


Contractor or Employee? It Could Be an Expensive Decision
www.nbaa.org

As the people in the business aviation community know well, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-......Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:50:45 +0000
As the people in the business aviation community know well, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) has long been a champion for all general aviation, including business aviation. The senator re-affirmed that support last week in floor remarks he made during the debate over a bill for reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration. His comments reflected the themes of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign. "This industry [general aviation] contributes over $150 billion to the national economy each year, and has created over 1.3 million jobs – if anyone wants to talk about job creation, this is the outfit that does it – across a broad range of disciplines. And it allows companies the ability to access all facilities all across the globe."


Video: Senate GA Champion Reminds Colleagues of Industry's Value
www.nbaa.org

Do you use your helicopter for business? If you're at HAI's HELI-EXPO 2012, stop......Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:17:45 +0000
Do you use your helicopter for business? If you're at HAI's HELI-EXPO 2012, stop by NBAA's Booth #6233 to meet NBAA staff and learn how Membership can help you operate as safely, efficiently as cost-effectively as possible. Plus, drop your card for a chance to win a free pass to NBAA2012 in Orlando!

Nominations for Meritorious Service, Doswell Awards Due Feb. 25 NBAA is now acc......Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:01 +0000
Nominations for Meritorious Service, Doswell Awards Due Feb. 25

NBAA is now accepting nominations for its two highest awards, the Meritorious Service to Aviation Award and the John P. "Jack "Doswell Award. The Meritorious Service Award recognizes individuals who have made significant lifelong contributions to aviation. The Doswell Award honors lifelong individual achievement in support of the aims, goals and objectives of business aviation. The 2012 award recipients will be officially recognized at the NBAA 65th Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, FL.


Awards | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association
www.nbaa.org

NBAA announced today that online registration is now open for those planning to......Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:47:25 +0000
NBAA announced today that online registration is now open for those planning to attend the 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012), to be held March 27-29 in Shanghai. The ABACE website also has guidance to obtain visas needed for attendance.


Online Registration Now Open for ABACE2012
www.nbaa.org

Is your company a model for others in business aviation? NBAA Members are invite......Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:06:28 +0000
Is your company a model for others in business aviation? NBAA Members are invited to share their stories ideas for possible publication in Business Aviation Insider.


Get Your Company's Story Published in Business Aviation Insider
www.nbaa.org
Business Aviation Insider, the official Member publication of NBAA, serves as a helpful resource for all NBAA Members, regardless of the size of their business.